Page 12 of Against the Odds

A second chance was not something I ever expected but I won’t take it for granted. Against the odds, we’ve found one another again and I intend to make the most of it.

Then she surprised me with a journal she’s kept since finding out about the pregnancy. I brought it home with me and read it multiple times, absorbing every entry. The information was both technical and emotional. Katy made sure to put all the facts from appointments along with the feelings she worked through almost daily.

When she instructed me to take it home and pick up where she left off I was confused. This was for her. A memento she could look back on. Turns out, it wasn’t. It was for our child. From both of us. This morning before I had my first cup of coffee, I contributed to this gift for our child.

Hi... is it too soon to call you kiddo? I’m not sure where to start. Your mom seems to never suffer from this issue. She’s full of wisdom and kindness in every entry. I’m your dad. Wow. How cool is that? Not that I’m saying I’m cool but you know being your dad is pretty awesome.

I don’t know when you’ll read this but I do know your mom is a smart lady and she’ll know when the time is right. I’m going to assume that future us has already told you about our non-traditional meeting and how you came to be. Know this—neither of us has a regret. Sure, we were boneheads and should have been safe but those two boneheads made one hell of a kid.

You aren’t even here yet and I know you are going to amaze us both every single day. I don’t make a lot of promises in life because I never want to hurt or disappoint someone I care about. But I will promise you that I will love you forever. No matter what road you take in life or the stumbles you make along the way, I will be there for you.

Love always,

Your dad

Becoming a parent has never seemed in the cards for me. Receiving handmade cards for Father’s Day or playing catch or even tea party seemed like something that would only happen to others. Yes, as I sit here looking at my signature in this journal nothing has ever felt as right. I’m going to be a dad.

Closing the leather-bound cover, I set the book on the side table and drop my feet to the floor. I can hear muffled voices throughout the house and smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. By the time I make it to the kitchen, the noise level is at maximum as the kids argue with one another. Connor and Felicity are standing at the counter, seemingly oblivious to the chaos behind them. Their heads are close together as they whisper. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the topic of their conversation.

“Morning,” I shout, bringing everyone to a halt. The kids pause, mouths open as they stare at me for a beat. Then, as if I hadn’t spoken, they are back at it. Their parents on the other hand look like they’ve been caught with their hands in a cookie jar. Felicity breaks first and smiles before pushing Connor away and turning her attention back to whatever is on the stove.

“Do you mind if I get a cup of coffee?” I ask.

“Let me... uh... get a cup. Yep. A cup. Kids, you need to go make your beds,” Connor says while both kids look at him like he’s nuts.

“Why? We never make our beds.” Clementine, Felicity’s pre-teen daughter, seems completely rattled by the concept of making a bed.

Turning the dial on the stove top, Felicity turns around, with a look that says, “don’t mess with me” and retorts, “Oh for goodness sake. We need to talk to Ian and y’all need to get on out of here.”

Groaning, both kids stand and shuffle out of the room. Before I can take my seat at the table and prepare for the inquisition, Jacob sticks his head back in the room. “So we don’t have to make our beds, right?”

“Go!” Felicity looks completely unfazed by the question. Unlike me, who can’t stop laughing. I wonder if this is what it’ll be like ten years from now with my own child.

I accept the cup of coffee from Connor who settles in the seat across from me. Felicity comes to the table with two plates and sits down next to him.

“I wasn’t sure when you’d be up this morning or I would have made you a plate as well.”

My eyes scan the breakfast they are about to eat and I think I’ve dodged a bullet. Egg whites with what appears to be turkey bacon and some melon sit sadly on the plate. I’m all about being healthy, and my job requires me to be in shape, but if there’s one meal I indulge in, it’s breakfast. I would at least need a loaded omelet to go with that sad bacon.

“Thanks. I actually have breakfast pla—”

My statement is cut off by the doorbell and my breakfast date. Katy appears in the doorway and Felicity squeals and jumps up to hug her. These two act like they don’t talk daily. Chattering a mile a minute, I watch them wave their hands around and touch Katy’s belly. My child. I still can’t wrap my head around how much has changed in the last twenty-four hours.

Connor doesn’t seem fazed by their excitement and polishes off his breakfast while eyeing his fiancée’s plate. A hand rests on my shoulder as Katy passes and takes the seat next to me.

“This is so nuts! I cannot believe you two know each other. How freaking cool is that? Wait, how did you meet again? I think Connor told me, but I was hot gluing and well, you know how that goes.”

“I really don’t but, it sounds …involved.”

Felicity exhales loudly and says thoughtfully, “It really is.”

I glance Katy’s direction and see her looking at me, fighting to bite back a smile begging to break free. A dozen unspoken words pass between us as we look at one another. In this bright kitchen, I can see the varying shades of blue in her eyes. A smile breaks out on her face and with a nod we’re in agreement.

“We actually met in Las Vegas,” Katy begins, “about thirty-five weeks ago.”

Connor takes a drink of his coffee and leans back, a cocky smile on his face.

Felicity sighs dramatically and rolls her eyes looking much like her tween daughter and says, “Obviously.We can do math. What I don’t know ishowyou go from meeting someone randomly to making a human.”

---